Duck Who Nested At South Jersey Drive-Thru Hatches Her Babies

(A female mallard with some ducklings that were hatched near the drive-thru lane of an Audubon, NJ fast food outlet. Photo provided)

AUDUBON, N.J. (CBS) – A few weeks ago we told you about a soon-to-be mama duck that had set up a nest in a drive-thru at a Camden County fast food joint (see previous story).

Well, mama has hatched her eggs, and now everyone’s all atwitter with excitement.

There were 10 eggs that the female mallard was sitting on at the Chick-Fil-A in the Audubon Crossings shopping center, along the Black Horse Pike.

Deanna Cataldi, the center’s marketing director, isn’t quite sure how many have hatched, but she says they’ve been attracting a lot of attention, including from the news media. And she’s taking full advantage of the situation.

“We’re putting it on our marquee that the ducklings have hatched. Feel free to come. I want to set up a little thing where kids can come to see the ducks,” she told KYW Newsradio this morning.

Limited engagement, though, since they don’t want to turn that drive-thru into a nature preserve. So, when the little ones are ready, volunteers who have set up a protective fence around the nest will move the new family to a nearby lake.